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For quite some time, I’ve been hinting that Sanity Vacuum was getting an overhaul. I’m pleased to say that The ABACUS Protocol is returning to the literary world on November 25.

Why November 25?

It was November 25, 2011 that I finished the first draft. November 25, 2013 would have been my Dad’s 70th birthday. In a way, it represents how my writing has come full circle. I’m back to being in control of my writing and my future. I have a hard road ahead of me, but I’m going to win.

That said, here’s the cover and blurb for Sanity Vacuum!

Sanity Vacuum Synopsis:

Vivian Skye just finished university, and qualified for her first-choice internship. Not many would consider the distant and isolated Extra-Galactic Observatory cushy, but it’s a dream come true for Vivian. Hailing from the low-tech planet of Aurora, she studied hard for this opportunity—and to leave her old life, and planet behind.

Her assignment is simple: perform a routine upgrade for the station’s supercomputer, quIRK. Her reception isn’t a friendly one, and eccentric quIRK becomes her only friend. However, the station’s administrator, Bryce Zimmer is obsessed with quIRK—he suspects that the station’s computer may have achieved sentience, something explicitly prohibited by the ABACUS Protocol. Compounding their issues, Bryce’s traumatic and privileged past makes him distrust Vivian from the beginning. Desperate to keep control, he sabotages quIRK in order to eliminate Vivian. But, his plan threatens to consume the entire station and send them into the unknown void of intergalactic space.

Vivian must struggle to survive not only Bryce’s megalomania, but also the emerging artificial super intelligence that is quIRK. Can Vivian and quIRK learn to trust each other and work together, before it’s too late?

Sanity Vacuum is book one of The ABACUS Protocol.

As always, mailing list subscribers get it first! I’m also looking for more spots for my upcoming blog tour. If you’re up to hosting, I want to talk to you!

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I did it. Sanity Vacuum’s rights have reverted to me, after the expiration of my publishing contract. This is alright with me, for a number of reasons.

I like the control of being indie. The Zombie Bedtime Stories have always been self-published. It’s crazy fun, I love the independence and the fact that I’m the one who gets the final say. I say when it’s done, when it’s good enough, and when another human being can read it.

Publishing with a publisher makes sense for some people. However, I have a good job and can front the production and marketing costs of a book.

Vision. I have a very clear idea of where my stories are going, and what elements I will include or exclude. I seldom (never) appreciate input that I don’t ask for in the creation process.

To me, these are all very good reasons. The final severing still felt like a bit of a breakup. I knew it was what I wanted (okay, needed), but the transition from “published” to “formerly published” was still there. I got over it in a day, though. My internal monologue told me to get over it and get back to work. Very helpful, isn’t it? Still got my street cred, for however long that’s meaningful for.

So, what does this mean for The ABACUS Protocol?

I’m re-releasing Sanity Vacuum, hopefully by mid-November. I’m giving it a final pass now that the remastering project is finally finished. There are a few things I wanted to polish up. A bit more universe detail, and improving the overall descriptiveness of the text are on the agenda. There’s also an amazing new cover, but I’m not quite ready to show it to the world just yet.

It’s going to be Sanity Vacuum, the way it was intended to be. Next up will be The Pandora Machine. It’s all written, I just need to clean it up before sending it to an editor.